On October 3, the Brandeis Department of Athletics held its annual Homecoming and Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This year's Hall of Fame event was held as a brunch at the Sherman Function Hall, allowing the attendees to continue to enjoy their day at the Homecoming soccer matches between the Judges and Washington University in St. Louis.
This year's inductees included one coach and three standout athletes representing four different decades of Brandeis athletics, dating all the way back to the 1950s.

The day's first inductee was Tom Foley, the department's longest-tenured men's tennis coach. Foley led the Judges for 31 years from 1967 through 1998. Despite an initial interview that nearly wasn't - Foley responded to an ad from Bentley, not Brandeis - Foley became a successful mentor to Brandeis student-athletes for more than three decades. He coached three Hall of Famers, three All-Americans and eight individual NCAA qualifiers, in addition to three Academic All-Americans and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners. His 1989 squad won the UAA title and earned an NCAA Division III Tournament berth, the first-ever for a team from New England.

"I always said, it wasn't that tough of a job," Foley recalled in his acceptance speech. "I just got paid to hang out with a bunch of talented athletes who were also really, really smart."

Three-sport standout Dave Walker '60 was the second induction of the day. Walker was a member of the Brandeis football, basketball and baseball teams. He came on as a sophomore quarterback of the Hall of Fame 1957 football team after an injury to a teammate, and hit .300 nearly every season while playing baseball. After graduating, Walker hit four doubles at an All-Star game at Fenway Park and was signed to a contract the next day by Tom Yawkey. After a couple of seasons of minor league baseball, Walker continued to stay active in sports, coaching baseball and serving as a Division I football referee. He was chosen to ref the first-ever college game in Ireland between Holy Cross and Fordham

"These people are really successful," Walker said of the several teammates of his who attended the ceremony. "You can get an idea of what a Brandeis education can do for you. I know that applies to everyone here, but I was really impressed by what my classmates were like."

Elliot Schwartz '82 became the first-ever men's lacrosse player enshrined into the Brandeis Hall of Fame. The program's career and single-season scoring record holder, Schwartz established the single-season record as a rookie and raised it two more times, setting the career mark during his junior season. Schwartz was twice named an All-New England selection and as a senior, he was presented with the department's Morris Sepinuck Sportsmanship Award for his performance on and off the field. 

"The sports programs at Brandeis helped foster a sense of community belonging, and can serve as a powerful tool to help fight the bigotry and hatred that exists," Schwartz said in his acceptance. "Unfortunately, in our society, it's imperative that these sports programs at Brandeis continue to flourish and remain competitive. We owe it to our community at large."

Theresa "Tricia" Gomes '97 of the softball team was one of the great hitters in the program's history. She is the team's career leader with a .470 batting average, including two different seasons in which she hit .560. As a sophomore, she led Division III with a program-record 20 doubles. Gomes is also among the top three in career on-base and slugging percentage. She was a three-time All-University Athletic Association selection who was named to the league's Silver Anniversary and 30th Anniversary teams, guiding the Judges to the first-ever UAA title in 1995.

"When I got the call several months ago, it's really taken me down memory lane, remembering my experience here and all the wonderful things that happened," Gomes said upon receiving her Hall of Fame jacket. "Brandeis is such a great University that helped me to become the person that I am today. I really learned a lot about myself while I was here through academics and sports."

Caitlin Malloy ran track and cross country for the Judges in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She was an 14-time All-UAA performer, including four championships, and a four-time All-American. Malloy helped the Judges win two UAA cross country titles and qualify for the 2002 national championships, finishing 22nd overall as the team placed 13th. Malloy also participated in the first two NCAA Division III Women's steeplechase championship races at the outdoor meet, setting a school record that still stands today. 

"Athletics is this amazing space where sometimes we get the opportunity to be successful," Malloy said during her acceptance speech. "We get to have this experience that feels so good; some accomplishment; some record set; some game that we won; a moment to join the team. And if that's you, if you're in that phase right now, relish every moment because those moments are so amazing."

In addition to the Hall of Fame ceremony, the Homecoming celebration marked the return of Brandeis's Ollie The Owl mascot after more than a decade on the sidelines. Ollie and the Homecoming crowd helped cheer on the Judges in their games against WashU, helping spread the good vibes on the day.

The Judges are already looking forward to the next Homecoming in October of 2027. Nominations are being accepted for next year's Hall of Fame Induction.